Cruelty of Life
by KristineCullen
Summary: Life is cruel and family and friends have to learn that the hard way.
1. Prologue

Wind rippled across the graveyard on the cold spring morning. Tears ran down my face as I waited for the casket inch deeper into the hard ground. My hands covered my stomach as I hoped to shield my unborn child from the horrors of death.

I could faintly hear the murmurs of condolences as people filed past the casket placing flowers on the lid. The condolences didn't even fully register in my brain. All I could think of was that this wasn't supposed to be his time. He had his whole life ahead of him and that was cruelly ripped from his reach. No one should be taken from this world in that manner.

**Yes I know it's short and I know it's confusing but it will make sense at the end of the story.**


	2. Chapter 1

_Dr. Swan…Call on line two for Dr. Swan. _

Damn whoever invented the P.A. system, I curse the day you were born. I have been on shift for 38 hours. Why did I volunteer to work during the College of Oncology conference. I should have gone and presented like planned. The last thing I want to do is talk on the phone.

_Dr. Swan…Call on line two._

"This is Dr. Swan." I said trying not to let the irritation show in my voice. When there was a hesitation, I got a little impatient. "Look I am a doctor and I have lives to save so if you have something to say you'd better get to it."

"Bell? I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I have been trying to call your cell and at the house for the past 24 hours." The voice of my ex-fiancé sounded frazzled.

"Ed-Edward? What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Bell I-I need you to come to New York. I need your help. I can't explain what is going on over the phone. Please Bell?"

"Edward you are scaring me. Please tell me what is going on." I tried to put the panic out of my voice.

"Bell it wouldn't be fair to you if I told you over the phone. You can't tell anyone in my family you are coming though, especially not Alice or dad. I have plane tickets waiting for you whenever you can leave. I promise with all of my heart that everything will make sense when you get here."

"I can let the hospital know that I need some personal time. But Edward it's going to get back to your dad."

"Bell I'm coming home, but I need your help and your help alone. No one else can help me. Everything will make sense when you see me." His voice was like a helpless child pleading for love.

"I'll be on the next flight but you have a lot of explaining to do when I get there."

"Thank you Bella and I still love you." He hung up the phone after that leaving my still full of panic. I walked out of the doctor's lounge and went to find the chief of oncology.

After explaining that a family emergency came up that I had to take an unexpected leave of absence and I wasn't sure how long I would be gone, I was racing home to get my clothes packed. I checked flight times on my iPhone and realized that I only had 40 minutes to make the next plane from Seattle to NYC.

I sent Edward a text for when I would be arriving then turned off my phone because I knew it was only a matter of time till Carlisle or Alice called to figure out why I was gone. I settled back in my first class seat and tried to relax as I awaited whatever was to come to me in New York.


	3. Chapter 2

Even when you have been awake of 38 hours straight, sleep can still be hard to come by when your brain doesn't want to sleep. How am I supposed to act when my ex fiancée, whom I haven't spoke to in 3 years, calls out of the blue begging me to come to New York without telling his family. My brain is so frustrated that I can't even enjoy the first class flight.

"Cookie for your thoughts?" my musing was interrupted by a cookie being dangled in my face. The gentleman sitting in the seat next to me was holding a cookie with an amused look on his face. I gave him a questioning look. "You looked like you were having troublesome thoughts and my daughter always shares her thoughts when I offer a cookie. I am a great listener and I am a doctor." He held out his hand, "Dr. Brian James." His face reminded me of the kindness Carlisle's face holds.

"Dr. Isabella Swan but please call me Bella. Please tell me you aren't a shrink." I shook his hand.

"Of course not," he answers with a chuckle, "I am chief of oncology at New York Mercy. I was in town for a conference. There's nothing like spending your vacation sitting and listening to a bunch of old bags rave about how their new drug is a "miracle"."

"Did you sit through the Pericipronphrin lecture?"

"The one with Dr. Portis? That one is the only I would even consider using in my clinic. The work done with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is amazing."

"That is my study. Dr. Portis is my attending that is supervising."

"No way you don't look any older than an intern."

"I am a third year resident. I went to the chief of medicine at Seattle Grace with this study and he said I needed to find an attending to back me and Dr. Portis backed me."

"Wow I wish I had a fourth year with your ambition. I've met your Chief of medicine, he is a hard ass. I should know I was Carlisle's roommate during undergrad."

"Actually I've know the Cullen's since my dad died when I was in high school. I was engaged to his youngest son. That's what I was thinking about."

"Where you jaded by a Cullen playboy?" This guy was starting to get on my nerves.

"No actually I broke off the engagement so he could better his career and move to New York. And for your information the Cullen's took me in after my father was killed in the line of duty when I was 17." I shoved my ear buds in and closed my eyes. My mind wandered back to my history with Edward.

Everyone in the town of Forks knew of the Cullen's, the handsome Dr. Carlisle, and the Mrs. Esme, their three sons, Emmett, Jasper, and Edward, and their two adopted daughters Alice and Rosalie. Well I met them when I was 16. They had just moved from Alaska because Carlisle took a job at the hospital in Seattle but Esme didn't want to live in the city. My father was the police chief of the little town and my mother left us when I was about 6 months old. She signed over all legal rights to me. I became best friends with Alice and Rosalie. I spent more time at the Cullen's then I did at my own home because my father was always at the office.

When I was 17, my father died after being hit by a motorist while directing traffic at a car accident, the Cullen's took me in. I didn't speak to anyone for the first 3 weeks I was living in their home; I didn't even leave my room. One night, I heard the soft melody of piano notes drift into my room. I left the room for the first time in weeks to discover where the notes were coming from. As I crept into the library, I saw a strong back bent over the keys. As I walked closer and sat in one of the chairs, the moonlight caught his face and I recognized it as the youngest son, Edward. Edward was the hottest of the Cullen men, with his unruly bronze hair, emerald green eyes, high cheekbones and a chiseled jaw. Every guy in the school wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him.

He stopped playing and the room fell into an eerie silence, all that could be heard was his steady breathing and my unsteady breaths. Without saying a word he walked over to the couch and sat down across from me. He spread his arms and I dashed into his open arms. He held me for hours until both of us fell asleep.

The next morning, we were woken the bright flash of a camera and the soft murmurings of his family. Esme had taken a picture of me curled against his chest, and him with his arm wrapped tight around my waist. Every night I would sneak into his room and curl against his chest, and in the morning, we would be found in the same position.

We actually started dating in college and he proposed at our undergrad graduation. We went to medical school and decided to get married after our internships were completed. Our excitement couldn't be contained when we opened our residency placement letters. We waited all day to open them just the two of us.

"_Edward open yours first. I'm too nervous to open mine." I was shoving his letter at him._

"_Now Bell we agreed that we would open them together. Come on." He grabbed his letter opener off the desk and ripped both open. He handed me mine and stipulated, "Alright on the count of 3 we will state the name of our hospital. One… Two… Three…"_

"_Seattle Grace." _

"_New York Mercy."_

"_Edward I thought we were both going for Seattle."_

"_Bell I applied there knowing I would never get that position. I never thought it was a possibility that I would get that. New York Mercy has the best infectious diseases unit this side of the CDC. I will stay in Seattle I'm not going to go to New York."_

That night, after Edward went to sleep, I went on and researched NYM. He was right; the IDU was the second best to only the CDC. I knew he wouldn't progress in his career if he stayed in Seattle. So I made the decision that I have regretted for the past 4 years.

_I had been distancing myself from him the entire day after we got placed. I knew that if I didn't convince myself, then he would see right through me. He always told me I was a horrible liar._

"_Bell what's wrong? You haven't been acting yourself all day. Are you feeling alright?" He sounded genuinely concerned about my well being. He was making all of what I had to do next harder._

"_I can't do this anymore Edward. I can't take the lies from you anymore. Were you ever going to tell me about New York? If you weren't telling me about that, what else aren't you telling me? I can't be with you anymore if you aren't telling me the truth."_

"_Bell what are you saying?" His voice was slightly cracking. _

"_It's over. Go to New York and forget about me." I slipped the ring off my hand and tucked it in his shirt pocket. "You should go. I want you gone by the time I get back." I grabbed my purse and walked out the door without looking back._

That night I drove around till I found a playground. I sat on the swings till the early hours of morning. I headed back to the apartment to just drive by and see if he was there. His car was gone and our light was off. I walked up to the apartment. Most of his stuff was already gone.

I glance down to the ring on my right hand. And think back to the night I got it back.

_I was sitting at the desk of the oncology ward 3 weeks after Edward left. I had been awake for 45 hours and was trying to master sleeping sitting up. _

"_Hey Swan you have a package." One of the nurses snapped me out of my trance and handed me a small padded envelope. I grabbed the letter opener and slit the package._

"_What is it?" I emptied the contents onto the desk. A note and a jewelry case sat there. A lump swelled in my throat. "Is that what I think it is?" I read the note first. It was simply stated in Edward's hand…_I still Love You._ Tears leaked down my cheeks as I cracked open the ring box. There sat, nestled in velvet, my 1 karat diamond in a platinum setting with 2 accent emeralds. _

"_My Ring." My voice cracked._

"Ladies and Gentlemen… Please secure your belongings we are now descending into LaGuardia airport." The pilot jolted me out of my reminiscing. I began to mentally prepare myself to see the man I was still hopelessly in love with.

Thankful I didn't check luggage, I made my way towards the families that were waiting. I scanned the crowed for a bronze head. My brow furrowed when I didn't see him. Instead I saw a man in his early 40's with a sign that read 'Bella Swan'.

After exchanging pleasantries, I asked him where Edward was. All I got was a vague answer of we will see him at the penthouse.

He pulled in front of the building and gave me instructions on how to get into the building.

I made my way into his apartment.

"Edward?" I heard no response, but I did hear a noise coming from the master bathroom. I pushed my way into the bedroom and the noise grew louder. It was a noise I was all too familiar with in my line of work.

Inside the bathroom was Edward hunched over a toilet. He was pasty white and his cheekbones were sunken. He leaned his head on the edge of the toilet seat.

"I'm sorry Bells."


	4. Chapter 3

***Previously on Cruelty of Life***

_Inside the bathroom was Edward hunched over a toilet. He was pasty white and his cheekbones were sunken. He leaned his head on the edge of the toilet seat._

"_I'm sorry Bells." _

Chapter 3

I don't say a word I just open the cabinet door and pull out a washcloth. After getting it damp I kneel on the floor next to him. I place the washcloth on the back of his neck as he begins to heave more, though there is nothing in his stomach for him to purge. This time tears fall from his eyes. I just wrap my arms around him and shush him. Sobs wrack his body as he curls into my arms.

After what seems like hours, his breathing steadies and I can tell he has fallen asleep. As I count his breaths, I notice a slight bit of wheezing. My cheek rests on the top of his bald head. As I run my hand down his side, I feel every rib protruding through the skin. I take notice of rash on his lower legs and the spots that he has broke the skin from scratching. I try to deny the doctor in me, but the same symptoms I diagnose every day were currently curled up in my arms. It has been years, but I still love the way he feels in my arms, it is just so right.

"Edward we need to move you to your bed." He whimpers in his sleep as I move out from underneath him, but he moves to help me get him into a standing position. Once I got him to the bed, I sat him down and removed his t-shirt and shorts. I got him situated under the covers and noticed a swan tattoo on his chest over his heart. A pain ran through my heart as I thought back to the night I said those hateful words that made him leave. He settled back into his slumber and I looked around the room for the first time. There were clothes all over the floor and the stuff that belonged on his dresser was spread across the floor. This is very unlike Edward; he is usually the neat freak.

I grabbed the clothes off the floor, not knowing if they were clean or dirty, and carried them to the laundry room to start a load. I, then, walked into the kitchen and started the dishwasher full of the dishes that were lying around. I occupied myself with cleaning for hours. When I finally looked at the clock, I saw that it was 4:45 am. The exhaustion had finally caught up with me. I decided to check on Edward before falling asleep in the guest room.

Edward slept peacefully on his stomach. I sat on the couch clutching the blanket to me, watching the moonlight dance on his angelic face. As I sat watching him sleep, I realize that I am no longer tired and I think back to the last time that I saw him bald.

It was our senior year of high school. The football team had decided to shave their heads if they made it into the playoffs. What was funnier was that if they won the state championship, they were all going to wax their legs… they did win, 37-35 in double overtime. I remember Edward sitting on stage in the cafeteria with the rest of the team. Everyone's girlfriends were standing behind them with shears in their hands. Edward was the only single one on the team so he had me shave his head. I remember tears fell from my eyes as the first lock of hair hit the floor. After everything was done, I grabbed a lock of hair and placed it in a scrapbook that I gave him after we graduated college, right before he proposed.

"You're staring at me." His velvety voice was full of sleep as it ripped me out of my memories. "What are you concentrating about?"

"State playoffs senior year." He chuckled. "What is it Edward?" he sighed.

"Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I was diagnosed 18 months ago at stage 1. It is now drug resistant." I didn't say anything. "They are now giving me 10 months. I just want to go home." I could see the tears beginning to stream down his cheeks, my own were stinging in my eyes.

"So you're saying, you are done with treatment and you want me to take you home to die?" my voice cracked at the end. "Have you looked into all the options Edward? Seattle Grace is doing amazing things with stage 4 NHL. My team is doing amazing things. Do your parents even know?" He hung his head and shifted up to sit against the headboard, reaching over the bedside table for his glasses.

"No they don't know anything. I haven't talked to them in 2 years, except for the occasional email to my mother, but other than that, no they don't. Bells, I can't go through anymore treatments. Please Bell I just want to go home and try to fix things with my family. I need to try to fix things with you. I was stupid I should have never left." The expression on his face was tortured.

"What do you need me to do Edward?"

"You'll help me?"

"On one condition. You will at least talk to the patients in my program." He agreed and said that he needed to look into apartments.

"Why don't you stay with me? I still have the penthouse. There are three bedrooms not being used, and I haven't touched your office. We don't pay rent on the place."

"Alright, I need to get some things in order here. I need to go to the hospital and get my records, give my resignation and visit the genetic department before I leave. I need to call a moving company to come pack the apartment hand have things shipped to Seattle. Then I need to contact my lawyer here and my family lawyer back home." His eyes were closed as he was trying to list everything he needed to do. I stood from the couch and straddled his knees, being careful to keep my weight off him. I took his face in between my hands, making him look me in the eyes. His emerald green eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"What do you need me to do?" His breathing was shaky.

"Love me?" his voice was that of a small child, highly afraid.

"Edward, I never stopped." My voice was full of tears and sadness. He pulled me in for a kiss, wrapping my hands in his. He broke the kiss as his thumb ran over my engagement ring on my right hand.

"You still wear it? I would have thought you'd have pawned it." He hung his head again. "I screwed up Bells; I put my career before you. Could you ever forgive me?" the tears that once were unshed, were now falling free of his copper lashes.

"Edward," my voice cracked, "I should be asking you this. I said those things to make you leave. I felt I was holding you back. I looked into the program here. I was the best thing for you, I made you leave. I should be begging for your forgiveness. I wear the ring because I couldn't stop thinking about you. I needed a way to keep you near me. I love you Edward. I always have, and always will love you." I pulled him back in for a kiss. Laying his body on top of mine, he deepened the kiss. His hands ran under my shirt, tracing patterns on the skin as they made their way up to my breasts. As he palmed the skin, I gasped. He broke the kiss just long enough to discard the shirt I wore. I had forgotten the way his skin felt against mine, and from the pressure on my thigh, he had too. Simultaneously as my hands went to the waistband of his boxers, our phones started to ring.

"Hi Alice." Edward's eyes widened.

"_Don't you 'hi Alice' me. Where are you? I am standing in your apartment right now and you are not here. I know that you aren't in the hospital. Your bedroom looks like it was ransacked. Bella I am scared. Where are you?"_ I sighed.

"Alice I'm fine. I had a last minute plane to catch." Edward gave me the what-the-hell look. I held my hand up to calm him. "I have been working nonstop on this convention for the last two months and I felt I needed a vacation. I lost a long time patient yesterday so I just wanted to get out of town for a while. So don't worry about me. I am sitting on a beach in the Bahamas with a stiff drink in my hand and a very hot cabana boy. It's just a short sabbatical. The paper work is on your father's desk. Three weeks that's all I am taking."

"_Bell you would tell me if something was wrong…right?"_ Shit she's on to something.

"Ali you would be the first to know if anything was wrong. Now Ali I have to go the cabana boy wants to rub more sunscreen on me." I was trying to get her off the phone.

"_Alright call me when you get back."_ She hung up the phone and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wow Bell you are a better liar now. If I hadn't been sitting here I would have almost believed you." Edward quipped while tracing patterns on my stomach.

"Well you had better hope that she believed me because if she doesn't, we are both screwed. She will be on the next flight to New York. Besides you believed me all those years ago." He looked down at his hands.

"I have an appointment at noon so we should get ready. Take a shower with me?" I nodded and followed him into the bathroom. I leaned against the sink as he fiddled with the shower taps.

"What was your phone going off for?" he moved to lean against me, wrapping one arm around my waist and the other reaching for the medicine cabinet. He pulled out a large blue case.

"It's time for my pills. My phone is set to remind me." He opened the Thursday compartment and dumped out a handful of pills.

"Still take pills with apple juice?" I slipped out of his grasp as he nodded and padded my way into the kitchen. I grabbed a glass of juice and took a pack of saltines out of the basket on the counter. Once back in the bathroom, I first handed him the saltines. "You know better than anyone not to take those on an empty stomach." He quickly ate the crackers and then took the juice from my hand. He then removed my pants and thong as well as his boxers and pulled me towards the shower.

I grabbed his body wash and loofa. I pushed him down on the bench and began to lather his chest. I knelt down in front of him and carefully washed his legs and feet.

"I have a cream in my bag for these." He hummed and I noticed his head was lolled back against the tile wall with his eyes closed. His member laid hardening against his thigh. I pressed my thumb to a sensitive spot on his foot and he moaned and his dick twitched. With a smirk I took his dick in my mouth, making him jump and curse.

"Holy fuck B."

I sucked him deep into my mouth and hummed. He restrained his hips from bucking up and his hands went to my hair. I pulled back, lightly dragging my teeth up his shaft. I wrapped my hand around the base and flicked my tongue over the head. His breathing sped up as I increased the speed of my pumps and my other hand went to fondle his balls.

"Bell…come…do…don't swallow." I pulled back and the thumb on his balls pressed on the sensitive spot behind his balls. That was his undoing. His cum mixed with water and soap as it swirled down the shower drain. He hissed from sensitivity as I released him.

"Oh god Bells…oh god." My fingers ran over the swan on his heaving chest. I got that shortly after that car accident I got after coming here, after mom and Alice left." I remembered sitting in the Cullen house when they got the call that Edward had been in a car accident after driving drunk. Esme and Alice were on the next flight to New York. Luckily Edward had not hit another vehicle. He ran into a light pole after passing out.

I turned to grab the shampoo and he gasped. I felt his fingers ghost over the tattoo on the left side of my ribs. "The blue and pink beads make a bracelet. B.C. is for Baby Cullen. 3/24/2007, our baby's birthday." Tears began to collect in my eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me we had a child?" his voice was harsh.

"We don't." My voice cracked and was full of emotion.

"You aborted my baby?!?" he was livid. I slid down to the floor and hugged my knees.

"No. No I didn't abort our baby Edward! I lost it, the same weekend of your accident. I was staying at the house when your parents got the phone call. Esme and Alice left to catch their plane and I went upstairs to take a shower. Carlisle was downstairs when he heard my scream. He ran upstairs to find me on the bathroom floor surrounded by blood. He rushed me to the hospital and we found out I was miscarrying. I didn't even know that I was pregnant Edward. The whole family thinks that it was appendicitis. Carlisle had everything cleaned up and my medical records altered. He has the original records in the safe in his office. I was 6 weeks along." He moved to the floor and took me into his arms, muttering apologies in my ear until the water ran cold and we were forced to vacate the shower.

**Sorry it took so long to update this one. Please review. This is the first time I have posted something remotely lemony…**


	5. Chapter 4

He didn't say anything as he dressed. He stood in the kitchen, dressed to kill. He wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans. He had flip flops on and his old high school baseball cap, backwards. He slipped his wallet in his back pocket and grabbed his keys. He spun too fast and had to grab the table for stability. I moved to grab him, but he held up his hand to stop me. When he regained his balance, he moved to the kitchen sink. He grabbed a pill packet and popped out a medium sized light pink pill, slipping it onto his tongue. He wrinkled his nose and grimaced.

"Why do they make anti-nausea pills flavored? And why do they pick nasty flavors? "

"Oral dissolving Zofran?" he nodded his head. He moved to the door and held it open to me. I followed him down to his Volvo SUV. The ride to the hospital was silent. Edward held my hand on top of the gearshift.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"The only person who knows is Carlisle and he is under doctor patient confidentiality. No one has seen the tattoo either. I have been able to keep Alice from seeing it."

"Why did you keep sending the ring back?"

"Because it reminded me of what I had lost. I pushed you away and then I ended up losing a baby that was a part of you. I had to get rid of it. When you kept sending it back with the same note every time, I realized that I needed to keep a part of you with me. It was the last thing that was holding me together. I wore it on my right hand and people didn't ask questions. Your family hates me. Rose glares at me any chance she can get. Emmett clams up whenever I am around. Alice pretends that nothing has changed but I know that she blames me for driving you away. Jasper tries to keep the peace. Your mom knows there is more to the story but she won't push the subject. Your dad is the only one on my side. That's only because he knows the whole story." He pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

"We're here." He said pulling into a parking space labeled with his name.

"Wow Dr. Cullen. Aren't you special? You even have your own parking space." I smirked.

"Ha! Says the woman that has an office right next to the chief of staff." His signature half smile graced his face. My heart melted when I saw that for the first time in years.

"Yeah well I pretty much run a research study, I need my space. I also made chief resident."

"Bell it sounds like you are over working yourself." He looked at me with concern.

"I threw myself into my work. The clinical trial is going pretty well right now. We have almost a full program. Out of nine people in our trial we have three in remission. The other four are improving their blood work and we have biopsy's scheduled for them. Edward I really think you should at least talk to some of my patients. I have an open slot in the program Edward. I really think this could work for you."

"Bella," he turned towards me and grabbed my hands. "I am tired of false hope. I am tired of drugs that make me vomit my guts out. I am sick of being tired. I've done a lot of thinking. I'm done fighting. This is what God had planned for me. Who am I to fight God's plans?"

"Your mother fought it and won." He looked at me with a curious look.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. I had to perform a double mastectomy and she went through 2 rounds of chemo. She has been cancer free for 10 months." I wiped a tear from his eye.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I couldn't keep up with the tears that were falling from his eyes.

"The same reason that you didn't tell anyone. Alice, Rose and I all cut and donated our hair to Locks of Love when your mom lost her hair. Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle shaved their heads. Now that her hair is growing back, Alice took her to have it styled into an adorable pixie cut."

"I should have been there. I…I… I'm a horrible son." I reached across the console and pulled him to my chest.

"Edward you were trying to protect them from this. You are so brave. You went through all of this treatment alone. I have seen many people lose it after their second treatment, with their entire family as support. You are strong. Stronger than any other person I have known. Now come on you have an appointment and we have a lot of stuff to do so we can get you home where we belong." I pulled out a tissue from my purse and wiped his face dry.

"You're right I want to go home. Let's get this done." He climbed out and walked around to open my door.

"Jeez New York hasn't taken the gentleman out of you yet. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing." I smirked.

"Alright alright. Come on lets go do this."

"Doctor Cullen you can come back now," a young nurse called him back.

"Becca you can call me Edward. I haven't been practicing for a while." She brought us back and took his vitals. His temperature was elevated slightly and his blood pressure was a little low. She then showed us to a room and handed him a urine specimen cup and pointed him off to the bathroom.

"Sad that a man that hot is going to die." She said when he was out of earshot.

"Excuse me? You did not just say that. I should report you to the chief of staff. That was a very rude thing to say. I cannot believe you had the audacity to say something like that. I would advise you to get another nurse who has some tact." She walked out of the room with a glare. Edward walked back in.

"What happened?" I shook my head. He took my chin in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "You are crying, what happened?"

"Just an insensitive Bitch. I'm fine." I kissed him on the nose causing him to smile and capture my lips. I smiled against his lips.

There was a knock on the door. The Doctor from the plane leaned his head in the door.

"Hello Edward."

"Hello Dr. James. This is Bella, my umm.." he looked at me in question.

"Fiancée?" he got tears in his eyes.

"You'd still have me?" my voice was all choked up.

"The real question is would you still have me?" He embraced me and moved my ring back to its proper place.

"Dr. James this is my fiancée, Bella."

"We've met before." My tone was cold. "We were on the same plane from Seattle."

"Dr. Swan it is very good to see you again." I nodded "Edward how are you feeling today?"

"Nauseous, tired, you know the same."

"Well we can work out a way to change that." Edward looked at me and I nodded.

"I am actually moving to Seattle."

"Oh good you are joining the Pericipronphrin study? That is really good. But I can say that we will all miss you around here."

"I am not joining the study." I elbowed him in the ribs. "What I meant to say was I am going to talk to patients and consider joining the study. Otherwise I want to reconcile with my family. It's been too long. My mother is recovering from breast cancer. My family deserves to know the truth about me. I have been away for too long. I have excluded myself from their lives for far too long. If I'm going to die, I want to die with my family near me." I began to tear up with his talk of dying. I began to shake my head. "Bell I'm going to die sooner or later. The study may only prolong my life five years. I can't beat God." He pulled me into a hug and buried his face into my shoulder, tears soaking into my neck.

"Edward, I think I need you to at least give the program good consideration. I have read over the journals that Bella and your father have put together. The research and the results are all promising. The—"

"Doc I have read the same articles that you have. I have probably studied them more than you have. You think that just because I have estranged from my family for three years, doesn't mean I haven't been studying up on the work that my father does. I will talk to the participants in the study and consider it. But I just want to spend what little time that you gave me reconciling with the ones I love."

"Well Edward I will have your medical records sent to Seattle Grace." The doctor nodded.

"Send them to my office. Just don't put his name on the outside of the envelope. My secretary is the same as his father's. If she even thinks she see's anything regarding 'Cullen', it gets forwarded to Carlisle. Whether it has my name on it or not." Carol, my secretary, has an issue sending me my mail. She doesn't like the fact that a 'youngin' like me gets an office right next to Carlisle's.

"I can do that." We stood to leave. "Edward, good catch with this one. She is amazing for you." He shook Edward's hand. We left hand in hand. When we got to the elevator, he let out a shaky breath.

"Hey you did amazing." He kissed me on the forehead and pushed the up button.

"I just have to go turn in my official letter of resignation and then we don't ever have to come back to this place again."

The ride up to the 15th floor was a quick one. Edward busied himself kissing my neck, making me laugh. When we got to the floor, he took a deep breath and handed the letter to the Chief of Staff's secretary. She told him that he would be missed. He gave her a hug and joined me back at the elevator bank.

"Marry me."

"You know I will."

"No I mean today. Before we leave New York. Before we go home. I want you to be my wife. We can go to the court house."

"No Edward."

"Bella please."

"No Edward, we don't have to go to the court house. Let's go downstairs to the chapel." The look of joy that crossed his face was priceless. He picked me up and spun me around.

"We don't have rings. Or a license. We need those first." He said as he sat me down. "I want to do this kinda right. We first go to the city hall and file for our license. We will have to persuade them to waive the three day waiting period. Then we head to Tiffany's to pick out our rings. Then after that we are going back to city hall and will finally be married."

"Alright let's do this." His smile returned as he grabbed my hand.

"Edward I don't need a 2 karat platinum band. I don't need a wedding band at all. I am fine with my engagement ring." After pleading our case to the city hall clerk, mainly us telling them that we were not drunk and that we were of sane minds, Edward all but dragged me to Tiffany's, where we were now debating the ostentatious wedding band that totaled over $10,000. "I have you and that is all that I need."

"Bella I will not let you get married without a wedding band," he whined. I huffed

"I don't need one that costs 10 grand Edward."

"Are you two finding everything alright?" the annoying saleslady came over. She had been hitting on Edward since the moment he stepped foot in the door. "Sir I see you have an expensive taste. We have several rings over this was that are in that same price bracket and a few others that are just above it."

"Excuse me Jessica was it? I was just saying to him that I don't want a ring that is that expensive. Edward a simple band would be perfectly fine. I can't wear the rings at work anyways. They stay on a chain around my neck. Please can we just get a band to match?" He sighed and bowed his head. "Besides we still need to pick out your ring."

We finally walked out with two rings. His was a tungsten carbide band and mine was a simple platinum band. We went back to city hall so that we could make our union official.

"And do you Edward, take Isabella to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, to have and to hold from this day forward so long as you both shall live?"

"I do." he breathed.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kiss your bride." The mayor of New York took time out of his busy day to marry us. Edward leaned in and kissed me.

He then picked me up and carried me out of the building. I tried to protest about him being weak and me being too heavy, but he was a man on a mission. He placed me into his car and drove us back to his penthouse. We breezed past the door guard and headed straight for the elevator. Once in the elevator, he had me pinned against the wall of the elevator with strength I did not know he possessed. His lips were powerful and his kisses were urgent.

"God Bella I need you so bad." His hips pushed against mine and I could feel how hard he was. I moaned and began to suck on his neck just below the ear.

"This elevator needs to hurry up. I need you just as bad. Edward, I love you."

"I love you too baby. God I love you too. I always have, I always will. I wish this was under different circumstances. I-" I silenced him with my lips.

"Shut the hell up and make love to me." His eyes smoldered with a passion that I had not seen in years.

He guided me to his door as soon as the elevator doors opened. Once inside, we made our way to the bedroom. Gently laying me back on the bed, his kisses grew more passionate. He whispered his love and we made love till we both had fallen asleep from exhaustion.


End file.
